Paleoseismic investigations along the San Andreas Fault, San Jacinto Fault, and just about any fault that has some displacement on it!

Quantitative analyses of paleoseismic datasets.

Pollen analysis, in particular, the use of historic index taxa for dating soils and sediments.

Geomorphic response to anthropogenic activity in the southwestern U.S.

Bio

As an undergraduate, Young worked with Dr. John Cooper on sequence stratigraphy and biostratigraphic analyses of Paleozoic rocks in Nevada. She was also involved with a research project involving the timing of glacial activity in southwestern Montana with Drs. Dale Ritter and Marvin Kaufmann. As a graduate student and post-doctoral researcher under the advisement of Dr. Ramon Arrowsmith, Young conducted paleoseismic and geomorphic investigations along the San Andreas Fault in central California. In addition to dissertation research, she worked with colleagues from the National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (I.N.G.V.), in Roma, Italy on geomorphic and bedrock mapping, geophysical campaigns and paleoseismic excavations in the Gargano Region of Italy. Young was involved with the creation of the first International Quality Network Paleoseismology, Geology, and Geomorphology Short Course given at Potsdam University, Germany where she was a student in the German Academic Exchange Program under Dr. Manfred Strecker. She began research on the San Jacinto Fault along the Anza Seismic Gap with Dr. Tom Rockwell from San Diego State University. This work continues. Young is also working with Dr. George Hilley from Stanford University on a comprehensive study involving the quantification of paleoseismic datasets from the central and southern San Andreas Fault. This study emphasis the importance of a quantifiable, reproducible approach to earthquake correlation methods, as well as some of the limitations associated with paleoseismic sites in arid climates. As an engineering geologist, Young has worked with several companies on projects including basin analyses, geophysical data acquisition, bedrock and geomorphic flood plain mapping, slope stability analysis (including mapping and calculating factor of safety), paleoseismic investigations, soil analysis (field and laboratory), building pad grading projects and down-hole logging and drilling. Young has taught at Scottsdale Community College and at Arizona State University as a visiting professor over the last 3 to 4 years.